Is it me or are Amazon getting really shit?

[Deidretheelf]

I think I’m going to stop using them. They used to be fairly reliable in terms of quality. But they’re flooded with Chinese crap now, looks nothing like the picture sometimes barely the same thing. Terrible quality. Loads of fake reviews & review scams, sending out offers of £10 vouchers or free goods in purchases if you leave a good review (Google says these are never fulfilled). Half the stuff I get has to go back because the quality is crap. And it’s exhausting having to scroll through all the dross to find the decent stuff.

The poor quality crap has descriptions with every imaginable key word in it, including totally irrelevant stuff, so searches are clogged with irrelevant nonsense results.

Prime day was obviously loads of dross they couldn’t shift and the discounts were awful. Things like having ‘save £30 and buy this for £19.99’ but really it’s usually sold discounted to £20.99 so you’re only saving £1.

Is this just me being a miserable old misanthrope or has anyone else noticed this?

It feels like they’ve got so huge they feel untouchable and just flog any old crap as they think they’re customers are a captive market, especially because of lockdown.

I agree I wouldn’t buy branded products from there these days

I only really get books from there. Can’t stand the incentives to get you to spend more and the default higher postage charges; the prime ‘free delivery’ on the items you don’t really want that are the same price including postage on eBay and half the stuff on prime tv you have to pay extra for. Greedy greedy greedy.

Absolutely hate Amazon and never use them ever!
Also did you hear that they dump brand new unwanted stock in landfill?

I stopped using them ages ago, their ethics leave a lot to be desired

I bought some Havainas last week and they were so obviously fake so they went back

They are a horrible company. If the latest revelations about dumping thousands of pounds of electronics and books to keep prices artificially high disgust you, you know what to do:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?tag=mumsnetforu03-21&nodeId=GDK92DNLSGWTV6MP

O now always check out the seller profile if it is a 3rd party seller and avoid any Chinese ones. They should make the seller location clear on the listing.

I was going to buy a Nintendo Switch on a Prime day deal but googled it and discovered it would be £30 less from John Lewis!

@Tangledtresses

Absolutely hate Amazon and never use them ever! Also did you hear that they dump brand new unwanted stock in landfill?

I heard this on the radio today and I'm absolutely incredulous and appalled and have you seen his penis shaped rocket, give me strength

I suppose its ok for branded things you need the next day but even that isn't reliable. I live in a city with 2 large depots near by yet I can never get the same day delivery. If it says same day it will change after you've paid, same with next day - tells you next day then after you W paid the confirmation says 2-3 days. The things you want are never on prime. Again major city and I can't get their Morrison's deliveries. People in much more remote locations get all these things. Definitely over this relationship!

I buy everything from coffee bags to cat food to mascara on Amazon. I love the fact that if I don't like something then the Hermes courier will pick it up and return it for me the next day.
I also love that they refund with no problems.
I even sent back something that was way out of the return period and they happily took it back. As someone who doesn't drive, it gives me so much freedom to get what I need.
I can order something at 8am and get it that day.

They charge for returns unless faulty now. If you just don’t like it they make you pay. They don’t do pick ups where I am unless I pay.

Fakes - yes loads. Particularly worrying as I’ve had a few skincare fakes recently and that’s an area where you really don’t want to be putting an unknown substance on your face.

Just read about the landfill. That’s awful, especially as it’s things like nappies and kitchen stuff which could be really useful for some very poor people, especially in lockdown.

They also used to be the best value. Now they seem to be the more expensive brands because a lot of sellers have their own sites with cheaper stuff and the add a few pounds on for Amazon fees but send cheaper from their own sites. Thompson Morgan & Elemis are two of them.

I worry about stuff being manufactured by Uighur Muslims in forced Labour camps too. They have a lot of Chinese hair on there and apparently that is mostly shaved off Uighur women’s heads by force these days.

I think their service is great to be honest, both delivery, returns and general customer service. With any site it's worth checking if the product is cheaper elsewhere, I have found if it's through a third party seller it tends to be more, but products directly from amazon are usually competitive. Prime day is okay if you know what you need and aren't taken in by wow save save save and buy a load of crap you don't need. I got some household bits and saved a fair amount. Regarding fakes I don't buy off resellers, and their customer service they'll refund without much hesitation.

That said, their morals are largely through the floor and try not to use them now (but so handy).

I refuse to use them

I live in London and there are better options. Books though...you can't beat Amazon for that. Arrives the same day sometimes.

@Silvergreen better options like what?

I have no issues with Amazon.
I think it is a bit “edgy” and “counter culture “ to lay into them but they have been a godsend during the lockdown!

There’s nothing edgy or counter cultural about holding a corporation to account.

Lolz at not liking Amazon being considered ‘counter culture’. They are an appalling company, who pay barely any taxes and are destroying a majority of small businesses who funnily enough cannot run on 0.3% profits. How this monopoly has been allowed to take hold over the internet is wild… also yes, lots of low quality products but that’s hardly a surprise. They suck balls.

I looked at my credit card statement and I fritter away £100s on products I mostly don’t really need. Over £1000 per year. I am looking forward to saving lots of money.

I despair of Amazon’s morals and working practices but they are also the only company prepared to deliver quite a lot of things to the Channel Islands, while discounting the VAT and not charging a fortune for postage. So I’m stuck with them quite often if there’s something I need.

I’ve never had a problem with them. They’ve been amazing for me when I couldn’t get out to the shops and I could get something the same day

I agree. I’m not getting more products that are total shit from companies that won’t offer free return postage. I’ve had products that aren’t what they say they are - bamboo pillow with no mention of there being anything in it or on it that is derived from bamboo. Company won’t pay for postage and after message after message in crap English designed to put me off asking they cover postage I’ve given up. Bought a fan with offer of free lifetime warranty in exchange for a good review . My review hasn’t gone live and if it ever does I’ll eat my front door. Total scam. Often branded goods can be bought for the same price or cheaper elsewhere. I’m getting far more selective about what I buy on there now.

Amazon's shitty worldwide, I imagine. Here in Canada, most of the products are also knock-off made-in-China and I refuse to buy it. I liked Amazon when it was in its infancy. How to take a good idea and ruin it!

I find their search engine never brings up the results I want even when I search by brand. The eBay search engine is so much better.

Books and toiletries are usually good value. All the weird Chinese brands are pretty awful. I always read the 1 star reviews.